Roots have spread out from the Tree of Great
Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the
south and one to the west. These are the Great White
Roots and their nature is Peace and Strength.

If any man or any nation outside of the Six Nations
shall obey the laws of the Great Peace
(Gayanerekowa) and shall make this known to the
statesmen of the League, they may trace back the
roots of the Tree.

If their minds are clean and if they are obedient
and promise to obey the wishes of the Council and of
the League, they shall be welcomed to take shelter
beneath the Tree of the Long Leaves.

We place at the top of the Tree of Great Peace an
eagle who is able to see afar. If he sees in the
distance any danger threatening, he will at once
warn the people of the League.

This one is a history lesson

The Shoshoni (also Shoshone) lived in Idaho,
parts of Utah and parts of Northern Nevada, and it
is believed that Sacajawea was born in Eastern Idaho
in what is now Salmon, Idaho. Everything about
Sacajawea is mysterious from the correct spelling
and meaning of her name, to the circumstances
surrounding her death. Some of what we do have
recorded is relayed here.

At about age 10, Sacajawea was captured by a raiding
band of Hidatsa and carried to their camp near the
border of North Dakota. Eventually, Sacajawea was
sold to a French-Canadian fur trader named Toussaint
Charbonneau.

The Corps of Discovery (as the Lewis
and Clark Expedition was officially named) had
camped for the winter at Fort Mandan in North
Dakota, which is where Charbonneau was also spending
the winter with his pregnant wife, Sacajawea.

When winter broke, Charbonneau was hired to guide
Lewis & Clark due to his knowledge of the country
where he trapped. He was specifically instructed to
bring Sacajawea, with her baby boy Jean Baptiste,
for a number of reasons. First of all, the presence
of a woman and baby would establish the peaceful
nature of the party. Secondly a Native translator
and negotiator with knowledge of the languages,
customs and tribes of the country was essential.

While Lewis' journals make very little mention of
Sacajawea, Clark carefully detailed her
contributions to the success of the journey. Her
knowledge of the terrain and mountain passes saved
weeks of travel time. Her ability to speak and
negotiate with Native tribes allowed the expedition
to keep fresh horses and food all along the way.

When food was scarce, Sacajawea gathered and
prepared roots, nuts, berries and other edible
plants in order to provide tasty nourishment. Clark
was so taken with Sacajawea, and so concerned about
her welfare at the hands of the abusive and
wife-beating Charbonneau, that he proposed taking
the infant boy to St. Louis to be raised in safety.
For her efforts in making the expedition successful,
Lewis & Clark named a river "Sacajawea" in her
honor.

From here, history becomes cloudy. It is known that
Sacajawea did take her son to Clark in St. Louis (as
promised) where he was raised as Clark's own. She
did leave Charbonneau and spend time in St. Louis.

One account says that she died of "putrid fever"
(smallpox, tuberculosis, scarlet fever??) at age 25,
and even Clark's account of the members of his
expedition mark her as dead.

Native accounts, however, especially Shoshoni oral
history, have Sacajawea marrying several more times,
having a number of children, and meeting up with her
son Jean Baptiste in Wind River, Wyoming.

This woman (called Porivo) had intimate knowledge of
the Lewis & Clark expedition, spoke French, wore a
Jefferson Medal around her neck, was a political
speaker who spoke at the meeting which led to the
Ft. Bridger Treaty, was credited with introducing
the Sun Dance Ceremony to the Shoshoni, and was an
advocate of agriculture as a necessary skill for the
Shoshoni.

Porivo died at age 96, and was buried in the white
cemetery at Ft. Washakie as a final show of respect
for her efforts in behalf of both Lewis & Clark, and
her own people.

Dr. Charles Eastman, who had been hired by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs to locate Sacajawea, opted
for the Native history as being the most accurate.

After extensive research, Eastman determined that
Porivo was, indeed, Sacajawea and a monument was
erected in her honor at her gravesite.

However, Sacajawea's story will change depending
upon the account you're reading, the part of the
country you're in, and the heritage of the author of
the story.

After the passage of so much time, it is unlikely
that her movements after she left St. Louis will
ever be known with certainty.

What is known with certainty is that Sacajawea was
responsible for raising the Native American woman to
a new level of respect and admiration.

Grandmother Spider the Firebringer

The Choctaw People say that when the People first
came up out of the ground, People were encased in
cocoons, their eyes closed, their limbs folded
tightly to their bodies. And this was true of all
People, the Bird People, the Animal People, the
Insect People, and the Human People.

The Great Spirit took pity on them and sent down
someone to unfold their limbs, dry them off, and
open their eyes. But the opened eyes saw nothing,
because the world was dark, no sun, no moon, not
even any stars. All the People moved around by
touch, and if they found something that didn't eat
them first, they ate it raw, for they had no fire to
cook it.

All the People met in a great powwow, with the
Animal and Bird People taking the lead, and the
Human People hanging back. The Animal and Bird
People decided that life was not good, but cold and
miserable. A solution must be found!

Someone spoke from the dark, "I have heard that the
people in the East have fire." This caused a stir of
wonder, "What could fire be?" There was a general
discussion, and it was decided that if, as rumor had
it, fire was warm and gave light, they should have
it too.

Another voice said, "But the people of the East are
too greedy to share with us," So it was decided that
the Bird and Animal People should steal what they
needed, the fire!

But, who should have the honor? Grandmother Spider
volunteered, "I can do it! Let me try!" But at the
same time, Opossum began to speak. "I, Opossum, am a
great chief of the animals. I will go to the East
and since I am a great hunter, I will take the fire
and hide it in the bushy hair on my tail." It was
well know that Opossum had the furriest tail of all
the animals, so he was selected.

When Opossum came to the East, he soon found the
beautiful, red fire, jealously guarded by the people
of the East. But Opossum got closer and closer until
he picked up a small piece of burning wood, and
stuck it in the hair of his tail, which promptly
began to smoke, then flame.

The people of the East said, "Look, that Opossum has
stolen our fire!" They took it and put it back where
it came from and drove Opossum away.

Poor Opossum! Every bit of hair had burned from his
tail, and to this day, opossums have no hair at all
on their tails.

Once again, the powwow had to find a volunteer
chief. Grandmother Spider again said, "Let me go! I
can do it!" But this time a bird was elected,
Buzzard. Buzzard was very proud. "I can succeed
where Opossum has failed. I will fly to the East on
my great wings, then hide the stolen fire in the
beautiful long feathers on my head."

The birds and animals still did not understand the
nature of fire. So Buzzard flew to the East on his
powerful wings, swooped past those defending the
fire, picked up a small piece of burning ember, and
hid it in his head feathers. Buzzard's head began to
smoke and flame even faster!

The people of the East said, "Look! Buzzard has
stolen the fire!" And they took it and put it back
where it came from.

Poor Buzzard! His head was now bare of feathers, red
and blistered looking. And to this day, buzzards
have naked heads that are bright red and blistered.

The powwow now sent Crow to look the situation over,
for Crow was very clever. Crow at that time was pure
white, and had the sweetest singing voice of all the
birds. But he took so long standing over the fire,
trying to find the perfect piece to steal that his
white feathers were smoked black. And he breathed so
much smoke that when he tried to sing, out came a
harsh, "Caw! Caw!"

The Council said, "Opossum has failed. Buzzard and
Crow have failed. Who shall we send?"

Tiny Grandmother Spider shouted with all her might,
"LET ME TRY IT PLEASE!"

Though the council members thought Grandmother
Spider had little chance of success, it was agreed
that she should have her turn.

Grandmother Spider looked then like she looks now,
she had a small torso suspended by two sets of legs
that turned the other way. She walked on all of her
wonderful legs toward a stream where she had found
clay.

With those legs, she made a tiny clay container and
a lid that fit perfectly with a tiny notch for air
in the corner of the lid. Then she put the container
on her back, spun a web all the way to the East, and
walked tiptoe until she came to the fire.

She was so small, the people from the East took no
notice. She took a tiny piece of fire, put it in the
container, and covered it with the lid. Then she
walked back on tiptoe along the web until she came
to the People.

Since they couldn't see any fire, they said,
"Grandmother Spider has failed."

"Oh no," she said, "I have the fire!" She lifted the
pot from her back, and the lid from the pot, and the
fire flamed up into its friend, the air.

All the Birds and Animal People began to decide who
would get this wonderful warmth. Bear said, "I'll
take it!" but then he burned his paws on it and
decided fire was not for animals, for look what
happened to Opossum!

The Birds wanted no part of it, as Buzzard and Crow
were still nursing their wounds. The insects thought
it was pretty, but they, too, stayed far away from
the fire.

Then a small voice said, "We will take it, if
Grandmother Spider will help." The timid humans,
whom none of the animals or birds thought much of,
were volunteering!

So Grandmother Spider taught the Human People how to
feed the fire sticks and wood to keep it from dying,
how to keep the fire safe in a circle of stone so it
couldn't escape and hurt them or their homes.

While she was at it, she taught the humans about
pottery made of clay and fire, and about weaving and
spinning, at which Grandmother Spider was an expert.

The Choctaw remember. They made a beautiful design
to decorate their homes, a picture of Grandmother
Spider, two sets of legs up, two down, with a fire
symbol on her back.

This is so their children never forget to honor
Grandmother Spider, Firebringer!

How the Fly Saved the River
an Ojibway legend from Eastern
Canada

Many, many years ago when the world was new,
there was a beautiful river. Fish in great numbers
lived in this river, and its water was so pure and
sweet that all the animals came there to drink.

A giant moose heard about the river and he too came
there to drink. But he was so big, and he drank so
much, that soon the water began to sink lower and
lower.

The beavers were worried. The water around their
lodges was disappearing. Soon their homes would be
destroyed.

The muskrats were worried, too. What would they do
if the water vanished? How could they live?

The fish were very worried. The other animals could
live on land if the water dried up, but they
couldn't.

All the animals tried to think of a way to drive the
moose from the river, but he was so big that they
were too afraid to try. Even the bear was afraid of
him.

At last the fly said he would try to drive the moose
away.

All the animals laughed and jeered. How could a tiny
fly frighten a giant moose?

The fly said nothing, but that day, as soon as the
moose appeared, he went into action. He landed on
the moose's foreleg and bit sharply.

The moose stamped his foot harder, and each time he
stamped, the ground sank and the water rushed in to
fill it up. Then the fly jumped about all over the
moose, biting and biting and biting until the moose
was in a frenzy.

He dashed madly about the banks of the river,
shaking his head, stamping his feet, snorting and
blowing, but he couldn't get rid of that pesky fly.

At last the moose fled from the river,
and didn't come back.

The fly was very proud of his achievement, and
boasted to the other animals,

"Even the small can fight the strong if they use
their brains to think."

HOW MAN WAS CREATED

Traditional Dakota spiritual leaders are
creationists and do not believe in the Bering Strait
hypothesis for the peopling of North America nor the
evolution of human beings in a Darwinian sense.

Legends tell us that it was hundreds and perhaps
thousands of years ago since the first man sprang
from the soil in the midst of these great plains.

The story says that one morning long ago a lone man
awoke, face to the sun, emerging from the soil. Only
his head was visible, the rest of his body not yet
being fashioned.

The man looked about, but saw no mountains, no
rivers, no forests. There was nothing but soft and
quaking mud, for the earth itself was still young.

Up and up the man drew himself until he freed his
body from the clinging soil. At last he stood upon
the earth, but it was not solid, and his first few
steps were slow and halting.

But the sun shone and ever the man kept his face
turned toward it. In time the rays of the sun
hardened the face of the earth and strengthened the
man and he bounded and leaped about, a free and
joyous creature.

From this man sprang the Lakota nation and, so far
as we know, our people have been born and have died
on this plain; and no people have shared it with us
until the coming of the European.

Thanks you so much for graciously letting me
use your stories. I can't thanks you enough.